Protestors gather at the Centre in the Square in Kitchener, Ont. on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015 to protest Bill Cosby amid brewing tensions and mounting allegations of sexual assault.

Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Hannah Yoon

KITCHENER, Ont. - Bill Cosby received a warm standing ovation Wednesday night at his first Canadian show, but outside the theatre protesters braved bone-chilling temperatures to express their opposition to the controversy-ridden comedian who faces mounting allegations of sexual abuse.

Cosby's show in Kitchener, Ont., — his first since November and one of three in Ontario — went ahead without interruptions, but it was a different scene at the entrance.

Ticketholders had to make their way past sometimes noisy protesters who vehemently decried the 77-year-old comedian while holding signs that read "rape is not a joke."

Cosby, however, appeared unruffled.

He walked on stage wearing a grey sweatshirt with the phrase "hello friend" as a picture of him with Nelson Mandela was broadcast on two large screens overhead and opened with a simple line.

"First of all, thank you," he said emphatically.

Cosby then launched into a series of jokes about the cold Canadian weather, religion and sibling rivalry, among other topics.

The comedian appeared to strike all the right notes with the crowd, which included a mix of ages. The audience laughed at Cosby's dramatic pauses, giggled at his stage antics and clapped at his punch lines.

"I had a wonderful time," Cosby said as he wrapped up his two-hour act. "Thank you."

Cosby also released a statement through his publicist following the show, applauding his fans for respecting themselves, the theatre and the event organizers.

There were many empty seats in the large theatre, however, which was under constant surveillance by police officers and private security guards posted at multiple junctures.

At one point, three protesters temporarily blocked the main doors into the venue while one woman heckled ticket holders, saying "shame on you."

Stella Goertzen, who was among those who withstood frigid temperatures to protest the comedian, said Cosby shouldn't have come to the city.

"I think they should have closed down the venue and just said you know what, this is not good for our city," she said. "I'm against violence against women."

The activity didn't seem to deter audience members from heading into the venue though, with many saying they believed Cosby was innocent until proven guilty.

"We just felt like we still wanted to see the entertainment we paid for. It's up to the law to decide if there's a problem," said Tammy Kehn. "If there's an issue it will be addressed that way. I'm here to enjoy the show."

Kehn added that she had no problem with those who wanted to voice their opposition.

"They've made their decisions and they've formed their opinions, too and everybody's entitled to that," she said. "We're all here for our own reasons."

Sam Smith, who grew up watching Cosby on television, felt the same way.

"If you want to oppose somebody that's your opinion. I'm here to see a humorous guy, that's all," she said.

In recent weeks, at least 18 women — including three who came forward in Los Angeles on Wednesday — have accused Cosby of sexually assaulting them, with some allegations dating back decades.

Cosby — who starred as the congenial Dr. Cliff Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" from 1984 to 1992 — has denied the allegations through his lawyer and has never been criminally charged in connection with any of the claims.

But the slew of allegations alone were enough to prompt a group of Kitchener residents to organize their own alternative event to coincide with Cosby's show to raise funds for women's centres that support victims of sexual assault.

"We chose to go the community route, raise some money, raise awareness, get conversations going," said Melanie Baker, a co-organizer for the event which has been called Voices Carry.

"To Cosby, the message is we've heard, we see, this isn't going away."

Baker said those who had purchased tickets to Cosby's show would gain free admission to the alternative event and she expected a number of former fans of the comedian to come by. The city's mayor had also said he would attend.

Cosby has had to cancel or postpone at least 10 shows on his current world tour because of the growing number of women who claim he drugged and sexually assaulted them.

His agents, however, said his Canadian appearances were going ahead as planned.

In an ironic way, Baker said, Cosby's determination to perform despite local opposition has helped shine the spotlight on the issue of sexual assault.

"As much as we would have loved it if his event got cancelled, having it go ahead, the story has got more and more attention ... and thus it keeps getting into the broader conversations about sexual assault, about domestic abuse and all of those important issues," she said.

Shirley Lichti, a longtime volunteer with the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo region, which will benefit from the event, said the community's response is sending a positive signal to survivors of abuse.

"We're not so much trying to send a message to Cosby as we are to our community that says women who've been sexually violated are not alone, we believe them, we're here to help them," she said.

"If you look at the media in 2014 sexual violence was in the news again and again and again ... and for the first time the conversation got elevated to a point where people said it's safe for me to tell someone that I've been abused."

Cosby is scheduled to perform in London on Thursday and Hamilton on Friday, and protests are planned in both cities.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2015